Can you spot the irony in this? While the US won't be seeing an ST or RS version for the new Ford Fiesta, it has been announced that customers from countries like the UK, Spain, Switzerland and Austria will indeed get their own special edition Fiesta that will add a sportier aura to the small hatchback.

See it? Yeah, Ford will be releasing those sought-after ST and RS versions of the Fiesta in other countries with the exception of its motherland, the USA.

Ironic, don't you think?

In any event, those who will have these Fiestas in their countries will also have a new Sport+ package available - only for the three-doors version, though - with a choice of 120 hp 1.6-litre Duratec TiVCT petrol engine or 95 hp 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine.

The exterior gets a a specially designed front bumper, sporty side skirts, a large rear spoiler and a rear bumper with integrated diffuser. The car is painted in 'Frozen White' matched with Performance Blue GT stripes on the roof and bonnet or 'Performance Blue' finished with white stripes. The sporty package is finished by 17-inch large alloy wheels.

The interior gets sports leather seats with standard side-airbags and a black full-leather steering wheel.

Press release after the jump.

2011 Ford Fiesta Sport+

Specifications
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  • Model: 2011 Ford Fiesta Sport+
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Press release

Ford of Europe is introducing a new special edition Fiesta Sport+ model for selected markets that emphasises the sportiness and the bespoke driving dynamics of the successful new Fiesta range.

Available with a choice of the 120 PS (88 kW) 1.6-litre Duratec TiVCT petrol engine or the improved 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine now with 95 PS (70 kW), the new three-door Fiesta Sport+ comes complete with a full body styling kit, featuring a specially designed front bumper with flared lower valence panel, sporty side skirts, a large rear spoiler and a rear bumper with integrated diffuser.

Two distinctive exterior colour schemes are available, both designed to reinforce the car's sporty stance. 'Frozen White' is matched with Performance Blue GT stripes on the roof and bonnet as well as dynamic side stripes, while the exclusive 'Performance Blue' model is finished with eye-catching white stripes. To round out the package, large alloy wheels are fitted as standard equipment and are painted in bright 'Frozen White'. (7J x 17 wheels with 205/40 R17 tyres for the petrol engined version, and 6 ½ J x 16 wheels with 195/45 R16 tyres for the diesel).

The sporty theme continues in the cabin too. Heated sports leather seats with standard side-airbags and a black full-leather steering wheel are enhanced with striking blue stitching, while the handbrake cover and the gear lever knob are finished in black leather as well. Fiesta Sport+ also gets front and rear floor mats with blue stitching and scuff plates, all with special logos.
"In excess of 526,000 units of the new Fiesta have already been built in Europe since the car was launched late in 2008 and it has gone on to be Europe's top-selling small car and Europe's No.2 best-selling car overall in 2009," said Salvatore Campolo, Ford of Europe's Small Car Brand Manager. "With its fresh design and acclaimed driving dynamics the Fiesta has also contributed strongly to our overall brand image. To celebrate, we adopted the idea behind the Ka 'Grand Prix' pack for the Fiesta Sport+, offering all of Fiesta's class-leading attributes but with even sportier styling cues outside and inside".

Initially, availability of the Fiesta Sport+ will be limited to the UK, Spain, Switzerland and Austria where small, sporty cars are in particular demand.